Pakistan's Asif Ali announces retirement from international cricket at 33

Pakistan middle-order batter Asif Ali has retired from all formats of international cricket at 33. Asif Ali, a late-order hitter and a finisher, made his name for providing quick runs with power and six-hitting ability, especially in T20Is. Ali went on to represent Pakistan in 21 ODIs and 58 T20Is, with his last appearance for his country being at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023.

"Wearing the Pakistan jersey has been the greatest honour of my life and serving my country on the cricket field has been my proudest chapter," Ali wrote in his statement on Instagram while confirming that he will continue to play domestic and franchise cricket around the world.

"I retire with immense gratitude and will continue to share my passion for the game by playing domestic and league cricket worldwide," Ali signed off. Asif made his name in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2018, having helped the Islamabad United win the tournament, hitting three sixes in a row in the final when the game was in a tricky spot. The United needed 22 runs in five overs but had lost six wickets



already and Ali went bang-bang against Hasan Ali.

Soon after, he made his T20I debut and then got the ODI cap a month later in 2018 itself against Zimbabwe. Asif Ali wasn't the best batter of his side, but he plugged the hole which Pakistan cricket had suffered for a long time, a middle-order finisher who can strike from the first ball and those little innings and cameos made him hog the limelight more often than not.

Similar to that PSL cameo, Ali turned up in the T20 World Cup 2021 match when Pakistan needed 24 runs off the last two overs and had just lost a set batter in Shoaib Malik. Ali handed a pasting to Karim Janat, hitting four sixes in the penultimate over and the match was done without the last over being bowled. Ali fell out of favour with Pakistan, needing a spin-all-rounder in that position and even though he started bowling to fill that job description, it didn't work out for either of them.

Ali still has age on his side and might prove to be a decent buy in T20 leagues where there is a desperate requirement for a middle-order finisher.